Rail-joint.



UNIE@ STATES ATET FFIE.

WILLIAM A. HANVEY, OF BIG RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM LAMBERT, OF REED CITY, MICHIGAN.

RAID-JOINT.

Patented April 2, 190'?.

Application tiled December 13,1906. Serial No. 347,731.

To (LIZ whom, it nm/ 7j concern:

Be it known that I, IiLLiAM A. HANVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Big Rapids, in the county of Mecosta and State of Rail-J oint, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention has relation to rail-joints, and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its p arts, as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide means for connecting the ends of rails together and support the several parts of the rails in order to reduce the tendency of the rails to wear at their ends, `with the conse quent injury to the rolling-stock. The joint consists primarily in providing the sides of the vertical web of the rails with laterallyextending shoulders. Side plates are provided with recesses for the reception of said shoulders and have upper and lower edges of suoli configuration as to fit snugly against the heads and flanges of the rails, and thereby brace the ends of the rail and hold the saine in proper alinenient. The outer surfaces of the said plates are provided with shoulders which serve to retain the securing-bolts against rotation and also afford means for retaining nut-locking devices, as will be hereinafter explained.

In the drawing the figure is a transverse sectional view of the rail-joint.

The vertical web l of the rails is provided with the laterallyfextending shoulders 2 2, the upper and lower edges of which are inclined or beveled, as at 3. The plates 4 are provided upon their inner faces with the recesses 5, which receive the shoulders 2. Said recesses 5 iit snugly about the said shoull Michigan, have invented anew and useful ders. The upper and lower edges of the plate 4 are beveled in order to iit snugly against the heads and flanges of the rails. The outer sides of the plate 4 are provided with shoulders 6, which serve as stops against which the heads of the bolts 7 may bear, and which are thus retained against roe tation. The said shoulders 6 may also serve as a stop for a nut-locking plate 8 and may retain the saine against rotation. The edge of the said plate 8 opposite to that which engages the shoulder 6 is bent down against the side of the nut 9, and thus nutlocking means is provided at the joint. By reason of the fact that the plates 4 Jrit snugly against the sides and between the heads and iianges of the rails a substantial joint is provided, and one rail is braced against the other and the tendency to sag or wear at the joint is reduced to a minimum. Consequently the rolling stock is not subjected to unnecessary wear.`

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In combination with rails having upon their webs laterally-extending shoulders, the upper and lower edges of which diverge from each other toward the outer faces of the shoulders, plates having recesses `which receive said shoulders and iit snugly about the saine and bolts passing transversely through the plates and rails.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WM. A. HANVEY.

itnesses:

CHAs. A. WITHEY, HELENE DOHERTY. 

